Dec 6, 2022
The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards celebrate women working in modern engineering, and aim to demystify the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls.
As well as highlighting the talent of women engineers, the awards seek to find role models who can help address the UK science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more girls and women.
Emma Diserens, Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – Programmes at EngineeringUK, said: “Research from EngineeringUK found that women make up just 16.5% of the engineering sector’s workforce, highlighting that we still have a long way to go to achieving a truly representative workforce.
“Young people will be much less likely to see themselves in a career if there are no role models who look like them, act like them or have had similar experiences. Awards like this play a critical role in raising awareness and recognising the hugely talented women engineers we have working in the sector, and showcasing that the workforce is made up of people from diverse backgrounds. It's vital that we continue to inspire the next generation by showing that engineering is a career for everyone.”
IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year
Ama Frimpong has been crowned the Young Woman Engineer of the Year. Ama is Head of Product Development at 52 North Health and manages the company’s engineering teams in the development of NeutroCheck, which is a low-cost, portable device that helps identify people living with cancer who are at risk of neutropenic sepsis – a life-threatening medical emergency occurring in immunosuppressed chemotherapy patients.
On winning, Ama said: “Wow! I feel truly honoured to be named the IET’s 2022 Young Woman Engineer of the Year, joining a line-up of incredible women who have come before me. As someone who has a passion for all things STEM, it’s amazing to have my work in medicine and healthcare recognised by leaders from across the industry.
“Growing up, I didn’t see any women engineers that looked like me, but thanks to the YWE awards, girls growing up today will see that there is a place in the exciting world of engineering for them. I want to use this platform to make a difference and encourage and inspire the engineers of tomorrow to change the world.”
IET Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices
Lauren Smith is a Trainee Medical Engineer at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust. Lauren is part of a team that ensures the proper function of medical devices within the healthcare setting and works to support the needs of clinical staff by repairing and managing the devices they rely on daily to diagnose, treat and monitor patients.
Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Prize
Eneni Bambara-Abban is a Robotics Engineer and the founder of 2 organisations, the Techover Foundation and Anime and Chill. The Techover Foundation is an international NGO that focuses on encouraging, educating and supporting individuals from underserved communities into technology. Anime and Chill is a safe and inclusive community of people interested in anime and/or gaming to come together and network irrespective of gender, sexual orientation or race.
Finalists Constance Rudman and Veena Kumari were both highly commended. All winners and finalists will play an ambassadorial role for the engineering and technology professions in the forthcoming months, promoting engineering careers to more girls and young people.
Gender Diversity Ambassador Award
Now in its fourth year, the Gender Diversity Ambassador Award recognises an individual’s hard work in achieving gender equality within the engineering industry, and this year it was awarded to Lynn Tomkins. This lifetime achievement award aims to showcase innovation and good practice to compliment the YWE Awards, by recognising the support and encouragement of women in STEM careers.
For more than 30 years, Lynn has championed equality and worked to ensure everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential. Operating in the skills environment in senior roles for most of her career has seen Lynn work closely with government, industry and key stakeholders at the highest level. As Co-Founder, Director and then latterly Chair of Trustees of the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF), Lynn has supported the UKESF in developing a leading industrial scholarship programme, building greater connections between universities and industry.
Visit the IET website to find out more about the YWE awards.
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